This is a discussion on Playing Style Relative To The Number Of BBs within the online poker forums, in the Learning Poker section; Hey all...I have a question regarding your table image in relation to the number of BBs in your stack.
When I start off a session, I

Hey all...I have a question regarding your table image in relation to the number of BBs in your stack.
When I start off a session, I start off with 100 BBs and I play a tight almost rock/nit type of style until I have doubled my chip stack then I kinda loosen my range on type of hands I play,how I play them, where and when I play them. Then after I lose a few big pots, I try to go back to what got me the chips in the first place! Being a nit/rock but now the cats out the bag and the other players know when I do and don't have a hand.

Should I have just stayed the nit/rock and not won many pots? Or played loose from the beginning?

#2

23rd October 2013, 4:09 PM

micromachine [5,618]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Cash, MTTs

IF you have 200bb and everyone else at the table has around 100bb the effective stack size is still 100bb, so you shouldn't change your game at all, otherwise you are just spewing because you have a big stack. Against other deep-stacks you can loosen your pre-flop range to include more hands with good implied odds.

#3

23rd October 2013, 5:29 PM

TxScorpion [112]

Poker at: ACR

Game: Holdem

Quote:

Originally Posted by micromachine

IF you have 200bb and everyone else at the table has around 100bb the effective stack size is still 100bb, so you shouldn't change your game at all, otherwise you are just spewing because you have a big stack. Against other deep-stacks you can loosen your pre-flop range to include more hands with good implied odds.

Sorry to sound so noobish, but please explain effective stack size.

#4

23rd October 2013, 5:31 PM

micromachine [5,618]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Cash, MTTs

re: Poker & Playing Style Relative To The Number Of BBs

The effective stack size (ESS) is the size of the stack you actually play for. If you have 200bb and your opponent has 100bb the ESS is 100bb because that is the most you can win from him. Your extra bb make no difference.

#5

23rd October 2013, 5:43 PM

dmorris68 [6,781]

Poker at: Wherever

Game: NLHE

I'd argue that while effective stacks are important to be aware of, having a much larger stack and using it wisely certainly can impact the dynamic of the game. Having everyone else well covered can be an intimidation factor, it can give you plenty of safety cushion to make aggressive moves without putting yourself at risk, people will be less willing to play back at you lightly, etc. So there's absolutely value in playing differently with a huge stack versus an average stack.

However if you're not careful about it you can easily spew off your chip advantage, so don't get in over your head too fast. I see a lot of unskilled big stacks get stubborn when people play back at them, insisting they can just push everyone around regardless, and within a few hands they're a shortstack or busto. I know I've been guilty of over-doing it, probably everyone has at some point in their poker tenure.

Remember, as you're learning you need to stick to ABC principles so that you develop your fundamentals to the point of being second nature. Then you build up from there. Applying pressure with a big stack is something you should be thinking about at some point, but not obsessing over until you have the experience to read your opponents and know when and how to do it.

#6

23rd October 2013, 8:12 PM

Arjonius [3,167]

Poker is more complex than simply deciding how you will play. For instance, your image only matters against opponents who are capable of forming an accurate image of your play AND who are also capable of adapting accordingly. So if you try to take advantage of the image you think you have against other players, you're probably adapting in a way that's sub-optimal.

It's also important to remember that any table you're at is certain to include opponents whose ability levels and styles differ. So ideally, you should aim to adapt (or not) to each opponent, not to the table overall.

#7

23rd October 2013, 8:35 PM

Ezekiel162 [627]

Poker at: Any Freeroll

Game: NLHE/HORSE

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arjonius

Poker is more complex than simply deciding how you will play. For instance, your image only matters against opponents who are capable of forming an accurate image of your play AND who are also capable of adapting accordingly. So if you try to take advantage of the image you think you have against other players, you're probably adapting in a way that's sub-optimal.

It's also important to remember that any table you're at is certain to include opponents whose ability levels and styles differ. So ideally, you should aim to adapt (or not) to each opponent, not to the table overall.

Applying pressure with a big stack is something you should be thinking about at some point, but not obsessing over until you have the experience to read your opponents and know when and how to do it.

At what point during the session, should you begin to apply pressure? In the event that the big stack occurs, how would you suggest the remainder of the session be played?

#9

24th October 2013, 12:42 AM

dmorris68 [6,781]

Poker at: Wherever

Game: NLHE

Quote:

Originally Posted by TxScorpion

At what point during the session, should you begin to apply pressure? In the event that the big stack occurs, how would you suggest the remainder of the session be played?

That question is way too general. Any answer would be situation-dependent, as others have already pointed out.

Part of growing your skill is a poker player, once the fundamentals are established and you can prove that you can win consistently or at least break-even, is to learn how to adapt to changing situations and applying appropriate tactics. This would be one of those things, where if you wound up the big stack and the players at your table were easy to push around, you might choose to bully them by pushing every hand. If you've got observant players, maniacs, drooling stations, or fearless players, you might hold back a bit until they're not in the hand or you have position. Or your approach might change based on bubble situations, especially in satty/DON type games or where pay jumps are big. There are just too many variables to give you an easy answer.

There are no cut & dry answers to *anything* in poker. The running joke is that for any given poker question, the only correct answer is "it depends." Some general concepts that apply most of the time can certainly be learned, but your game will never be optimal without learning how to apply variations to a given situation. The problem is most beginners or those who struggle with the game try to adjust too much/too fast when they're not ready to properly do so. That's why we hammer on fundamentals until they're second nature, then expand from there. Which is really no different than for most other sports or skilled games.

You've been asking a lot of question lately, and that's great -- they're good questions that we're trying to answer, and that's what CC is all about. But it sounds like maybe you're trying to figure out the whole game all at once. You're going to overwhelm yourself; slow down and let things come to you as you're ready for them.